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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · object · fork · fan · wake · trunk · bank · hand

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. land — ground
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. object — a thing
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. object — an aim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. object — to protest
  19. hand — help
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com